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Berrys Creek Gourmet Cheese takes out 12th Sydney Royal Champion

Posted on : 24 February 2020

In a celebration of Australia's finest cheese and dairy products, the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW (RAS) has announced the Champions of its 2020 Sydney Royal Cheese and Dairy Produce Show, crowning Berrys Creek Gourmet Cheese's Riverine Blue, the coveted Champion Cheese of Show.

No stranger to a Sydney Royal Champion, after claiming its first Champion Cheese just under a decade ago in 2011, Berrys Creek Gourmet Cheese has officially claimed 12 Champion accolades including the 2020 Champion Cheese of Show and Champion Sheep, Goat, Buffalo or Camel Milk Product, for its Riverine Blue and Champion Specialty Cheese for its Bellingham Blue, which also made it onto the Australian Cheeseboard Perpetual Trophy.

Berrys Creek Gourmet Cheese, owner and cheesemaker, Barry Charlton says he takes his hat off to the hard-working staff at Berry Creek.

“Winning the Sydney Royal Champion Cheese is a great honour and proves to us that we are doing something right! We have such dedicated staff, great quality milk and to win this award also helps us to keep growing as a business. It’s quite overwhelming but at the end of the day it really does come down to our wonderful staff,” Mr Charlton said.

“Taking out the Champion Specialty Cheese for our Bellingham Blue in particular means the world to us, its Cheryl’s maiden name and a Cheese we weren’t sure we’d produce in the coming years but to see that the judges love it as much as we do, really means the world.”

Sydney Royal Cheese and Dairy Produce Show Chair of Judges, Mark Livermore say despite some noticeable effects due to tough conditions in the dairy industry, exhibitors should be acknowledged for producing outstanding products.

"While the difficulties faced by the industry in recent years was reflected in the flavours coming through in some of the products this year, such as the hay and silage being used in comparison to grassy flavours, it's impressive to still see so many exceptional Dairy products," Mr Livermore said.

"We had 799 entries in this year's Sydney Royal Cheese and Dairy Produce Show and 117 of those were awarded Gold Medals. Of particular note, we saw an outstanding range of Cheeses, Ice Creams and Gelatos presented for the judging for the various Champions."

While Berrys Creek Gourmet Cheese is well-known on the Sydney Royal circuit, Dubbo’s The Little Big Dairy Company made its debut after winning Champion Cream for the first time with its The Little Big Dairy Company Double Cream.

Meanwhile, 2019 RAS President’s Medal winner Meredith Dairy also wowed the judges with its Meredith Dairy Goat Cheese Original Chevre which took a place on the Australian Cheeseboard Perpetual Trophy.

For a full list of the 2020 Sydney Royal Cheese and Dairy Produce Champions, please see list below:

2020 Sydney Royal Cheese and Dairy Produce Show Champions:

Champion Butter:

Fonterra Australia, Beautifully Butterfully Salted Butter

Champion White Milk, The Jim Forsyth Perpetual Trophy:

Tweedvale Dairies, Reduced Fat Milk

Champion Flavoured Milk:

South Coast Dairy, Creamy Iced Coffee

Champion Cheddar Cheese, The NSW Food Authority Perpetual Trophy:

Bega Cheese, Vintage Cheddar

Champion Specialty Cheese, The NSW Food Authority Perpetual Trophy:

Berrys Creek Gourmet Cheese, Bellingham Blue

Champion Cow Milk Cheese, The Dairy Australia Perpetual Trophy:

Bega Cheese, Vintage Cheddar

Prize (Annual Trophy) for the Champion Cheese of Show supported by the Dairy Produce committee.